From the Publisher

The national anthem was playing and on my right, the silver medal had just been awarded. I bowed my head to receive my gold medal ...

Well, if there had been an Olympic competition for door slamming, I would have won gold as a 15-year-old. I recall hearing my parents tell me, "Don't slam the door! How you shut the door to your home makes a difference."

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I was 16 years old doing 40 mph down a gravel road. I had been with my dad before when he had made his 1966 Ford pickup fishtail down the gravel road - that was as close as we ever got to an amusement ride. He made it look easy.

I pulled t...